Steamers Strike Two More from California
Published on March 20, 2013 under Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Edenton Steamers News Release
EDENTON, NC - The Edenton Steamers, 16-year members of the Coastal Plain League, announce today the addition of outfielder Laz Villa (BEE-YA) and pitcher David Hart to the 2013 roster.
Villa joins Edenton as a sophomore from Reedley College (CA) in the California Community Colleges Baseball Coaches Association's Central Valley Conference. The 6-1, 195-pounder spent his 2012 summer playing for the Fresno Cardinals in the Pacific West Baseball League. He was named PWBL Second-team All-League after finishing with a .417 batting average, earning the league crown for the category. He added a .525 on-base percentage, .479 slugging percentage and a 1.004 OPS. Villa hit six doubles, walked 20 times to only 13 strikeouts and finished second in the league with 18 stolen bases in 96 at-bats over 31 games.ÃÂ The all lefty outfielder, who has batted all over the order this spring, is hitting .236 with a .368 on-base percentage and has featured excellent defense at all three outfield positions with a 2.67 range factor, six assists and only one error in 18 games for the Tigers in 2013. The Lemoore, CA native hit .364 during the 2012 spring with Reedley before winning the PWBL batting title last summer with an average over .400. His line-drive swing, pitch selection, plus speed (4.1 down the line) and strong outfield defense have impressed professional scouts. Villa is off to a slow start at the plate this year but has continued his outstanding defense and he will look to rebound throughout the spring to maximize his contributions for the Steamers this coming summer.
Hart is a redshirt-junior at the University of California-San Diego in the NCAA Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association. The 6-0, 190-pound right-handed pitcher has served as a middle reliever for the Tritons this spring. In 11 appearances, the Livermore, CA native has a 2.20 ERA and has only allowed one double and one triple in 16.1 innings pitched with one save. Hart is a control artist that bridges the gap to the back-end of the bullpen extremely well because he can throw on back-to-back days and command three pitches to both sides of the plate. He does a great job of keeping the ball down and forcing contact, which gives him the ability to go through the lineup a second time. Hart brings a lot of experience to Edenton after transferring from Ohlone College (CA) and his ability to spot-start if called upon will benefit the Steamers greatly this summer.
The Edenton Steamers are a proud member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 17th season in 2013, the CPL features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. Furthermore, the CPL has had over 1,000 alumni drafted and 57 alums - including 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander - make their Major League debut thus far. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to friend us on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/coastalplainleague) and follow us via Twitter (as cplbaseball).
Coastal Plain League Stories from March 20, 2013
- Steamers Strike Two More from California - Edenton Steamers
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